HEJ, MY LOVE

KISS OF DEATH

*sensitive chapter*

Sierra rarely set foot in Jonas' company. The offices were in a warehouse, the sort one found on docks but within the city.

Jonas, Lars, and the manager's offices were above, while the other developers worked in the open space below.

Those who knew Sierra came to greet her. It was the first time they had seen her since the wedding. Though still in the early phases of pregnancy, all saw the transformation in her petite figure with the steel grey fitted turtleneck she wore.

Overwhelmed by the attention, Sierra didn't miss Jonas, who went and gathered a few files to work on from home.

Rut watched as everyone gravitated around the pregnant woman. She, too, had not seen Sierra since. The fuss around Sierra was nauseating nonsense. Why did everyone always make a big deal? She was pregnant, so what? The project manager thought.

Rut would have thrown up if Sierra had not made the move of excusing herself and escaping the huddle to go to the toilets. She had held in her desire to pee since her check-up earlier in the afternoon.

Sierra walked in a dignified manner until she was a few steps away from the toilets and far from everyone's eyesight. There, wobbly-legged by her threatening bladder, she hurried.

The woman sighed in relief as she released her stream. Of course, it ran for ages. Sierra even doubted she finished when she got up.

She came out of the toilets to find Rut waiting for her with a predominant smile, "hi Sierra, or should I say Ms. Potsmann?"

It took Sierra a second to replace her before saying, "Hello, you're the childhood friend you were at the wedding. Please call me Sierra."

"Yes, I'm that friend," Rut said with her usual dryness.

Enthusiastic, Sierra took no notice of the tone and pursued, "are you here to see Lars? Lars, he talks fondly of you."

It was true; Lars often brought Rut up in conversations. Despite that, Sierra never retained her name.

"No, I work here."

"Ah, I see," Sierra said and proceeded to wash her hands, "well, as I said, I've heard a lot about you. It's always nice to reunite with people. I hope we'll have the occasion to meet again. Perhaps you can fill me in on the childhood mischief you all got up to."

Like at the wedding, Sierra was friendly. None of her friends managed to slide in a warning about Rut, and her new life in Sweden made them forget.

"Yes, it is always nice to reunite. I've heard a lot about you too, if I may say, Sierra."

"I hope it was in a good way."

"It depends on one's perspective."

"Pardon," Sierra said and turned a from the mirror to look at Rut. Finally, she had all of Sierra's attention. For Rut, it was time to go for the kill, "I mean, you're the woman who seduced and married her friend's fiancé. How charming, now you're pregnant with his child."

Sierra blinked; it was one of those unexpected moments where the mind and the body's reaction collided, causing a form of a shutdown.

"Oh, I know," Rut exclaimed and clapped her hands, "if it's a girl, perhaps you should give the baby your friend's name. You know, like an homage, it's common in sappy tear-jerking romance dramas." A mocking grin appeared as she said, "I swear, we all need a friend like you, Sierra."

Sierra remained in stone silence. Confusion was too great to react.

Rut didn't wait; she released her venom. Now all she had to do was watch Sierra die slow. She left the toilets and Sierra in a limbo of despair.